The Republic of Korea, an impoverished and devastated nation over a half-century ago, now has one of the world’s most powerful economies and is an important democracy with a large and increasingly capable armed force. - Donald Rumsfeld, October 21, 2005

Excerpt from the documentary Asia Rising: Japan and Korea Rebuild (from the PBS series The People's Century)

South Korea's President Park Chung Hee has long maintained that Western-style democracy could only work in South Korea with certain Eastern "modifications."

Highlights of Korea’s development

The 1960s, which marked the beginning of Korea’s extremely rapid economic development, were characterized by a shift from agriculture to industry. Agricultural productivity declined, while the income gap between urban and rural workers widened as urban migration accelerated. To support industrial development, the government sought to increase the capacity and efficiency of the country’s road and rail transportation networks, the quality of its education system, and the productivity of its existing agricultural base.

During the 1970s, Korea continued to grow rapidly. The government’s economic growth strategy was to target specific productive activities and provide financial support. In 1973, the focus shifted to the heavy and chemical industries, with the Government of Korea providing subsidized credits and tax concessions. The government also sought to develop new urban centers throughout the country to spread industrial activity away from the Seoul-Pusan axis and promoted agricultural development to reduce rural-urban migration. Finally the government began to invest heavily in educating its skilled workforce to encourage R&D and industrial innovation and improve Korea’s competitiveness in world market.

The Korean people attempted to modernize their society with all the effort they could afford. They fought for the salvation of the nation, with selfless public dedication, with honest will and determination. They understood that reformation was needed in the form of revolution and pursued this great ultimate goal. President Park helped them, in various ways, to understand and accept the revolution in this manner, and it worked. As Jung-hee Park himself perceived the revolution as an innovation (or reformation) that was urgently necessary by the nation at that time, he encouraged people to see a near future that they can establish with their own hands.